Amanda Lew Kee: a 21-year-old designer making her mark in Toronto fashion

(Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

Amanda Lew Kee, recent university grad and first-time LG Fashion Week participant, showed her spring 2011 collection on Friday, the last day of shows. Riding the buzz of her Ryerson Mass Exodus show in April (in which fourth-year fashion students present their collections), the designer had the place swarmed. The presentation was designated a “petite marquee” (where they cover up the top rows of seating), but organizers had to add extra seats for guests clamouring to get a look.

Models wearing Lew Kee’s trademark ice blue lipstick (even FDCC doyenne Robin Kay donned it in solidarity) walked in zippered everything—the sleeves of jackets, the cap sleeves of dresses, and down the front of the minis. The gals who wear Lew Kee are young, like the designer, who’s 21. It takes guts (not to mention a great bod) to wear the revealingly high-slit sheer two-tone maxis or the navel-skimming jackets. We’ve seen newbie designers’ (Sunny Fong and Evan Biddell come to mind) collections grow stronger with each season, and with her first major show under her belt, we look forward to Lew Kee’s future offerings.